


Rose Comes Home

by Skyler10



Series: One Human Life [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Married Life, Miscarriage, Pete's World, Pregnancy, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 08:00:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4130452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyler10/pseuds/Skyler10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Married Tentoo and Rose have surprises for each other. Life-altering surprises that will change them forever. Mostly their conversations and thoughts as a couple, but parallel!Martha, Pete and Jackie make appearances as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Rose Comes Home

Rose let out an exhausted sigh as she hung her purse and coat by the door.  
  
She checked her hair in the mirror before searching for her husband.  
  
“I’m home! Doc?” Her voice echoed throughout their house (too modestly sized for the Vitex heiress, the tabloids said). She stepped over a small gadget of undetermined purpose and into their small but high tech living room. She doubted there was even one piece of their home that hadn’t seen some improvement from the sonic screwdriver. Even that he had made himself with the help of the family business: Torchwood.  
  
“Doctor?” She poked her head into the kitchen but only found some random appliances scattered about — a dissected electric can opener, a hand mixer, the base of a blender splayed wide as if its surgeon had vanished mid-operation.  
  
She jumped as a bright light flashed through the window over the sink. She had allowed tinkering in the basement as long as it wasn’t potentially explosive, but after a few close calls she had strongly encouraged him to build a workshop in the garden out back.  
  
Shutting the back door as silently as she could, she crept out into the twilight, toward the shed in hopes of surprising him. As a trained Torchwood field agent, it dawned on her in her playfulness that there could actually be something — or someone — dangerous out here. She had taken for granted that it was the Doctor and had left her gun inside. A crash sounded from the shed and her hand reflexively went to her hidden knife. Something let out a low growl that sent a shiver down her spine.  
  
_You’re just freaking yourself out, Tyler. Get it together._  
  
Another crash, this time accompanied by a Gallifreyan curse word. She laughed internally at herself. And him. She could tell from the sounds the sonic was making that he was just waving it around in frustration. Then she laughed at herself again, that she could tell his mood from the way his screwdriver hummed.

  
Luckily his back was to the open door. _Bad form, Agent. Torchwood would be disappointed._ She leaned against the doorway and bit her lip to keep from giggling.  
  
He was so entertaining when he was combating uncooperative projects. Something about watching him work, his Time Lord mind in hyperdrive, his brow furrowed in concentration…  
  
“I give in,” he suddenly conceded, but didn’t turn away whatever was in front of him. “What’s so funny?”  
  
“Me?” she raised an eyebrow. “Nothing!”  
  
“You know no one in the universe can sneak up on me, right?”  
  
“Ah, that alien hearing, huh?”  
  
“Even with human ears — ” He flipped around the face her. “— my Time Lord senses — ” He stepped so close she had to tilt her head up to maintain eye contact. “— are extraordinary.”  
  
“Extraordinary like your humility?” she mocked.  
  
“Yeah, that’s my secret. Modesty is my middle name.” He winked down at her.  
  
She rolled her eyes and pulled him in for a playful kiss, unable to hold out against his cuteness any longer.  
  
“Hello, Mrs. Tyler,” he quipped. Upon landing in this universe, he had, a bit presumptuously, taken her last name as she was in the only person ever allowed to know his real, full name and, as he had explained to her, it was perfectly plausible that two people named Tyler should marry.  
  
“Hello, Doctor Tyler.” She toyed with the buttons on his shirt.  
  
“How was your day?”  
  
“Mmm.” He surveyed his workshop. “Weeellll….”  
  
“I heard a word I couldn’t translate as I walked up…”  
  
“Ah. Yes. You know. Gallifreyan doesn’t…”  
  
“I know.” She tried not to grin at his misfortune, but he was tugging at his ear the way he did when he was avoiding a topic, especially when it involved being embarrassed in front of her. Which of course, she found adorable in this particular situation.  
  
“How was your day?” he changed the subject.  
  
“Oh, more paperwork on Project Aeon, boring pointless meetings, cake for Rob’s birthday.”  
  
“Cake? I miss all the good stuff working from home.”  
  
“I’m sure it’s only for a few more weeks. You’ll get it fixed. I believe — ”  
  
“Yes, yes, you believe in me,” he sighed.  
  
“No,” she teased. “I believe in that screwdriver of yours. You’re rather rubbish unless you’ve got that.”  
  
“Oi! Some kind of wife you are!” He stepped away and, pretending offense, his eyes took the opportunity to look her up and down. Amazing how much faux derision could mask desire.  
  
“So what exactly is it that you’re working on?”  
  
“Un-uh.” His lips turned up at the corners as he thought of his surprise. “Confidential.”  
  
“Even from me? Torchwood honestly thinks you can keep it a secret from… Wait a minute.” She read something odd in his expression. “It is for Torchwood, isn't it?”  
  
“Of course. Weeellll…. Maybe it is; maybe it isn’t.” He worked very harder to keep his expression neutral.  
  
“Doctor...” She batted her eyelashes overdramatically and pouted her lips. “What’s that behind you on the table?”  
  
“Nope.”  
  
She ran a hand up and down his arm.  
  
“Not going to happen,” he replied in return.  
  
“What are you working on?” she whispered conspiratorially, having fun with this.  
  
“Not telling,” he whispered right back.  
  
“What is…”  
  
“No.”  
  
“But is it…”  
  
“Not going to happen.”  
  
“How abou..”  
  
“Noooooo.” He was shaking his head for emphasis and guiding her gently backwards out the door.  
  
“Guess I won’t find out why you have a telephone booth over there then.” She pointed to the far corner over his shoulder towards a dark and unperceivable shadow except for a tiny fleck of red and glass that caught the eye only from a certain angle. Her angle. Much closer to the ground than his.  
  
He blinked, mouth agape, between her and the corner. He tugged at his earlobe.  
  
“I don’t know what you are talking about, Rose Tyler. I suggest we get some dinner before you go seeing things appear…”  
  
“It’s alright if you want to surprise me, you know.” She took his hand and pulled him out into the evening air. “I’ve got a secret for you too.”  
  
Now that had his attention.  
  
“Do I get to find out what it is soon?”  
  
“Yes. Fairly soon,” she answered truthfully.  
  
“Is it a big surprise or a little surprise?” he asked, testing his luck. He loved surprising others, but being on the receiving end made him nervous.  
  
“My turn.” She shook her head. “Do I?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Get to find out soon.”  
  
“Ah. I’m afraid not,” he grimaced. She sent him a look of sympathy as they entered the house.  
  
“I take it that’s what caused the banging and crashing and cursing?”  
  
“How do you know I was cursing? That could have been a nice word. Like jolly good! Or brilliant!”  
  
“One, you never say jolly good, even in English. No one says that. And two, it doesn’t matter what language it’s in, that was definitely bad.”  
  
“Yeah,” he conceded, now able to laugh at it with her by his side. “Yeah, it was.”  
  
The two maneuvered around each other, clearing up the half-assembled appliances scattered around the kitchen, getting out food to cook, setting the table, wordlessly going about their nightly routine.  
  
She stopped and watched him stir a pot before pouring its contents into a serving bowl, sonic screwdriver sticking out of his back pocket. While she preferred the slower method of actual cooking, she must admit his way was much faster.  
  
For the second time that night, he caught her staring. This time, however, he merely shot her that charming smile. He said “taste,” and held up a spoon. She guided the spoon in his hand into her mouth. As she tasted it, she caught his gaze and her heart sped up.  
  
After all this time, it didn’t matter whether they were confronting hostile aliens or the mess in their kitchen, flying off on adventures or making dinner, wherever they were together…  
  
She was home.


	2. A Wanderlust Confessed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is a bit domestic for our couple. Too domestic for the Doctor?

The Doctor tried to enjoy dinner despite the impending surprises looming over him. Mainly the one he was to receive. He played through recent conversations to work it out himself, but he couldn’t recall anything unusual. Nothing anyone had said at work, though it had been a while since he’d been in the office… He missed all the good stuff working from home!

“Earth to Time Lord,” Rose called as she waved her hand. “I asked if you wanted more before I clean up?”

“Oh. No, no thanks.” He snapped back to reality. Maybe she was waiting until after they had cleaned up to tell him… He quickly gathered up his plate and hers and carried them to the sink. He had a thousand theories running through his head. What if their surprises weren’t all that different? What if she had been feeling the same way he had? Not unhappy, certainly. He loved their life together, but if only it could be a little more - what was the word? — varied? He wouldn’t exactly have said it out loud, but he was bored. No, it was more tangible than that.

Trapped. He felt like a downed bird. In a pleasant and planet-sized cage, certainly, and with his beautiful soulmate by his side, but still, both trapped here with clipped wings when they had once soared among the stars.

“Hey, Rose?” He found himself putting away the last dish as she drained the soapy water from the sink.

“Mmhm?” She wiped her hands on a towel.

“Do you sometimes…” He tried again. “Do you ever wish….?”

“You’re going to have to finish a sentence in order for me to answer, love,” she teased. She saw he was serious, however, and a little twinge of worry crept up. For the millionth time in her life, she wished she knew what was going on in that Time Lord mind of his.

He pushed a fallen strand of hair behind her ear.

“We’ve been through so much,” he said instead.

She caught his hand as he was moving it away and pressed his palm onto her cheek instead.

“Whatever it is,” she encouraged him, “I’m listening. Don’t carry it alone.”

There was something different about her lately. Not her words or her tone, something much more hidden. Something shining, a tiny glimmer of hope in the midst of so many hard memories.

“How do you do it?” he asked. “You, Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf, defender of the Earth, defeater of Daleks and so many evils… content with a job and a house and a crotchety 900-year-old husband.”

Her eyes twinkled at the last bit but she didn’t dare make too light of his vulnerability.

“You, my silly alien. _You_ are how I get through,” she answered honestly. She followed his gaze out the back window to the night sky. “Ah. You’re asking about that?”

“Yeah. Don’t you miss it, even sometimes?”

She wrapped her arms around him as she answered.

“Of course I miss it. Every day. I still hear the TARDIS in my sleep. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you though. All those centuries hopping wherever you wanted and now, you’re trapped here with me.”

“Stuck with you’s not so bad,” he quoted her from long ago as he kissed the top of her head.

“Yeah? Good.” She tilted her head back to read his face. “Stuck together it is then, if we must be stuck.”

He frowned. “You do know, don’t you, even if I was given the choice — to travel in the TARDIS again alone or stay here with you — you know which one I would pick?”

She bit her lip and searched his eyes, but didn’t reply.

“Oh, my darling.” It broke his heart she seemed to be truly unsure, deep down, of his answer. “You, every time. Now that you’re mine, no force could ever tear me apart from you again.”

It was exactly what they each needed to hear. He needed to know she still longed for the days of time and space travel. She needed to be reassured of his commitment, his undying loyalty to her, come what may.

And boy did they have something new coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to follow Skyler10fic on Tumblr for updates. :)


	3. A Lucky One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What keeps the Doctor up at night? Find out here! :)

The Doctor sighed softly, wide awake while Rose hadn’t stirred since her head hit the pillow. She hid it well with her makeup and cheery disposition during the day, but he could tell she was more tired lately than she let show. He regretted not paying more attention as she went on about meetings and conference calls and Project Aeon at dinner.

It was her fault for telling him a surprise was coming. She knew what it would do to his attention span, he argued to himself. But it didn’t alleviate his guilt — for not being a more attentive husband, for wishing away this life they had built while longing for their old days in the TARDIS, for showing her history and galaxies and adventure, then trapping her here in this parallel universe away from the one they were born into. He knew she wouldn’t trade it for anything, but he had so many regrets where she was concerned. He didn’t deserve her; that was sure. She deserved a hero, a prince, a white knight. Instead she got a mad man in a blue box. And she didn’t even get to keep him in his natural form. The fully Time Lord Doctor — his original self — was still out there somewhere in the other universe, flying around, likely with a new companion. He wondered if he had regenerated. If he even had the same face anymore. 

These were the late night ponderings of a metacrisis duplicate, a child of regeneration energy, a spare hand, the TARDIS and Donna Noble’s faith in him. So many factors went into making this version of himself, copying his mind and soul into this human body. 

Rose tugged on the covers in her sleep.

He didn’t really believe in destiny or fate, but as he had said before in a particularly dark hour, if he believed in anything, he believed in her.

She once said how he, the new metacrisis form of him, was the best combination of his earlier selves. It was as if this version of him took all her favorite parts of his personality at the time and in his past form — when they first met — and combined them into a perfect match for her. He had brushed this off as mere flirtation, but it was true in a way. In the period between losing her to the parallel world and splitting into this body — a body that could stay with her and grow old with her — their time apart had changed him. He had grieved, but not well. He was never good at mourning those he lost. Regret and guilt as constant chains? That he was good at. 

But when they had first met, him with a different face, her only a kid of 19, things had been much different. He was cocky and rebellious and fresh from the trauma of the Time War. She was young and innocent and brave. They were reckless. Running into trouble and laughing about it afterwards. Somehow sacrificing his life for her had bonded them deeper than his other traveling companions, beyond even best friends. His next form, the one that gave him this face, woke up from the regeneration process to save her. Then they had become even closer in the perils that followed.

There was no one day that he fell for her. It was just part of him the same way his hair stuck out wildly and his frame was tall and skinny. His love for her was always there, it just grew with time. Losing her had ripped away part of him. He kept on doing his work, protecting the earth, standing up for the innocent, saving those he could, but more than one perceptive friend had commented on the sorrow in his eyes. Not only the old sorrow of the Time War, but fresh wounds of love lost and dashed dreams. He had even given away the biodamper ring he was going to use to protect her once they were — well, he knew a traditional marriage wasn’t a possibility then — but officially committed in whatever form it took.

Seeing her in his world again, holding that massive gun… it was as if the sun had reappeared after an endless night. He shook his head at the irony — the only reason she had been able to come back was because the stars had been disappearing in her world as well. The sky was going dark in both of their realities, as it had been for them internally much longer.

His love for her had been copied, even magnified, over to this human incarnation. But he never forgot that he received the better end of the deal. The other Doctor, the original, was carrying on without his Rose. He had the TARDIS, able to access any year on any planet, but couldn’t get to the one person he missed the most. He would never forget, though he would move on to other adventures and companions and perhaps even love again, but she would always be a missing part of him that he only got to have in a parallel world. Another man living his alternate life. The one adventure he could never have, as he had once said.

Somewhere in his thoughts he had drifted off to a restless slumber. Bright lights shot from his head and hands and feet. It was destroying the TARDIS. He was immeasurably sad. He was dying.

“I don’t want to go,” he moaned in his sleep. He tossed and turned, trying to escape the consuming fire of regeneration.

“You’re not going anywhere,” a soft voice soothed him. “You’re staying right here with me.”

He blinked and realized he had fallen asleep without knowing it. But the dream had felt so real.

“Bad dream?” she stroked his hair. “What was it, love?”

“I was regenerating. I think it was…” he swallowed. “Do you think it could be him?”

He could see her heart breaking in her expression as she considered it.

“I feel it too,” she whispered. “I don’t know why. I just got so very sad. Don’t even remember what I was dreaming about.”

He held her in his arms, thanking every lucky star he could name that he would never have to go through that again, that he got to be this man in this bed with his wife instead of dying violently alone, soon to wake up with an all new body and disposition. As much as he longed to get off this monotonous planet, he would no longer take for granted that he was the lucky one.


	4. A Surprise Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy happy feels all around!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For more on Martha and Reggie, check out The Valentine's Day Gala (http://archiveofourown.org/works/3343487/chapters/7313825)

A week passed, each trying to catch hints of the other’s surprise.

Rose would peek into the windows of the shed, but whatever he was working on was always covered. She trusted and respected him too much to go snooping too far. After all, she had said it was alright that he wanted to surprise her, but… what was he doing out there all day? It had to be Torchwood related or he would be in the office as well as working out in the shed all day and night. He had been taken off the schedule for fieldwork — their favorite part of their occupation — and she had been placed with another partner: none other than this parallel universe’s Dr. Martha Jones — known here as Dr. Martha Moore since she had married their neighbor, Reggie Moore. Rose enjoyed Martha’s company and worked well with her, but it wasn’t the same. At least paired with the Doctor, even without the TARDIS, it had felt closer to their old life. Now, they hardly saw each other all day.

Plus, knowing who Martha was in the Doctor’s life while he and Rose were separated in parallel worlds, even if this Martha didn’t live any of it, made things more complicated. Rose was open and friendly with Martha, but a small part of her — deep down — felt a twinge of jealousy of the adventures she had missed in that time apart. Also, though Rose wouldn’t admit this aloud to anyone, she felt a bit of insecurity at Martha’s credentials. Rose had plenty of experience, and had learned more on her own about physics, astronomy and engineering than any degree could have given her, but every time she saw the reverence and respect Martha gained when she mentioned she was a medical doctor, Rose had to keep herself from regrets. Regretting not finishing school, regretting not going to uni, regretting that rat Jimmy Stone… But that tiny dark part of her that compared herself to Martha shrunk with Martha’s esteem for Rose. Her husband, Reggie, was the cheeriest man on the block and Rose suspected — much like how being married to a Time Lord included sonic appliances filling the house — being married to Reggie meant part of his joy had flowed over into Martha as well. She was always kind and gentle with the patients Rose found, whether they were aliens trying to fit in with human society after being stranded on Earth from crashed spaceships or humans who had been infected with alien diseases or misapplied technology. Project Aeon was their latest venture — trying to catalog and treat those affected by nanoviruses other species had brought to Earth. Sometimes those affected were aliens themselves.

Rose’s eyes glassed over at the amount of paperwork she had in front of her. She needed a break. As she made her way to the office kitchen, she passed someone eating an egg sandwich. The smell of the egg hit her with a wall of nausea. Instead of heading for her morning tea, she ducked into the nearest ladies’ room. This was definitely going to take some getting used to, Rose thought as she returned to her desk. She rubbed her temples with her eyes closed, and thus was startled at Martha’s voice.

“You alright there, Agent Tyler?”

“Yeah,” said Rose, straightening up. The last thing she needed was nagging from a doctor. She would be getting that soon enough, she was sure, from her Doctor. As soon as she told him, that was. She just wanted to be sure first…

“Good. You just seem a little…” Martha trailed off, concern crossing her beautiful caramel features. She saw Rose’s hesitant expression. “You know if there’s anything you want to talk about, I’m here.”

Rose thought it over… could she trust this woman? The Doctor had. With his life. Well, in another universe.

“Martha? Can I ask a favor of you? Only you mustn’t tell a soul.”

“What is it?” Martha’s friendly concern became real worry. “Rose?”

“Just between us, yeah?”

Martha nodded.

“I need you to run a test… on me.”

\-----

The Doctor poured his heart into his work, remembering Rose’s words about missing their travels the same way he did. She knew about the possibility of growing a new TARDIS core, but also that he had been missing too many parts for the shell. A new TARDIS could never be the same as his old police box, but with the different body and marriage and life, perhaps it was good that they could have a fresh start. Regardless of what it looked like or how it operated, it would be the Doctor and Rose in the TARDIS once more — the way it should be.

He had gotten used to domestic life, as much as he hated to admit it. Their routines and familiarity provided him a sense of security he hadn’t known he was missing. And well, a job working with Torchwood — not technically “for” as he insisted on his independence as a contractor — could be classified as having serious thrill issues. It wasn’t exactly a standard 9-5 desk job, even when that’s what it boiled down to on a given day.

Together, he and Rose had made scientific breakthroughs that had to remain confidential, ran across the face of the Earth, fought off hostile aliens… all standard procedure for the two of them.

But now, he would sacrifice some of that Earth-bound consolation prize for the hope of the genuine article — a real time-and-space ship to be their home. 

He sat hunched over his workbench and hummed a tune from another solar system as he tinkered. He was so lost in dreams of the future (and future trips to the past) that he didn’t acknowledge her presence until she was so close he could lean back into her. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his temple.

“I have a surprise for you,” she murmured into his hair.

“I know, I’ve been waiting for weeks to find out what it is,” he complained.

“It hasn’t been weeks.” Her fingers tousled his wild hair. “One week.”

“Seems like a lot longer,” he sighed, turning to face her.

“Come inside.” She beckoned suggestively. He wondered if she knew the power she had over him.

He followed without question, but his mind raced with possibilities.

Inside, she led him to the sofa and revealed a small gift sack that had been hidden behind a corner.

“Open it,” she urged. He sent her a bemused glance before eagerly diving in. He did love presents. Especially from her.

What he pulled out didn’t make sense to him, though. It was a small piece of soft cotton in police-box-blue, with snaps between the leg holes and shoulders.

“What….?” he sputtered, eyes growing wide. “What! What… What!”

A wide grin spread across Rose’s face.

“It’s for our baby,” she finally exhaled. He dropped the onesie to his lap and blinked at her, mouth agape.

“Doctor?” she prodded after a while. Her bliss was interrupted by a flicker of anxiety.

“That’s impossible,” he breathed. “I mean, biologically, I didn’t think we could. Ever. Even in this body…”

“Doctor,” she tried again as she grasped his hands in hers. “I’m pregnant.”

His heart leapt at the words. For once he could think of no reply, only to kiss her with gentleness and passion and delight.

“So… you’re happy then?” she half-teased. They had carefully avoided serious discussions of children, both assuming it was off the table due to inter-species complications (the man was a metacrisis, for goodness sake). They had joked and flirted about it enough, however, for her to be fairly sure he would be excited. But his initial lack of words, quite uncharacteristic, had given her brief doubts.

“Oh yes!” He beamed down at her.

It was her turn to pull him in for a grateful celebratory kiss.

“Are you sure?” He pulled back, his instinctive protectiveness kicking in. “Have you been tested? Have you been to a doctor? Is that why your stomach’s been upset in the mornings?”

She nodded in response. “Ever since you abandoned me at work” — She winked to let him know she was only teasing — “I’ve been partnered with Dr. Martha. She tested me just this morning. I had suspected, of course, and taken a few at-home tests, but I wanted to be sure before…” 

He smiled sheepishly, understanding. “Before I got all excited about it?”

“Yeah,” she admitted. She softened her tone. “You’re gonna be a wonderful father.”

His eyes widened again and he ran a hand through his hair in realization.

“I’m…” He swallowed. “I’m going to be a father. A proper father.”

She furrowed her brow at his last remark. She laid a hand on his arm as a question and an invitation to open up.

“You mentioned you were a father before,” she prodded. “On Gallifrey.”

“It was different there.” He shook his head at the memory. “Reproduction was much more… clinical. Looms. Arranged partnerships, mostly, just a process to keep a sort of family structure until the children are old enough to enter the academy. Or get shipped off to train for the army.”

“Sounds awful."

He marveled at how different his life had become from that of the culture he was born into. Of course, he had always been the odd one. That’s why he kept being drawn back to Earth. To the human race. Love.

“But now, to have this.” He caressed her face with one hand as the other found her middle. “Oh, Rose.”

She closed her eyes in contentment and soaked in this moment, one they would remember for the rest of their lives. After a while though, her curiosity got the better of her.

“So, now that you know I’m carrying your child...” She winked as she used her newest weapon. “Are you going to tell me what your surprise is?”

The Doctor was rendered speechless once again. The red TARDIS was months from completion. And judging from their past travels, it was no place for a baby. He wanted this child more than he could express, but he saw for the first time just how dangerous their lifestyle was and how different life would be for them now. All along he had one future in mind: Rose, himself and the TARDIS reunited forever. Traveling and protecting the universe and running into trouble. But the father in him wanted to fiercely guard Rose and their child from any potential harm. No danger would come to his growing family, he promised himself.

He pulled her close so she wouldn’t see the look in his eyes as he said it.

“It’s not important anymore.”


	5. A Discovery Is Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will the Tyler parents respond to the news?

They kept the news to themselves for a while, enjoying their shared secret. They knew they had to tell their family at some point, however, and a certain mum was getting suspicious about her daughter and son-in-law’s evasive behavior.

It just so happened they had planned a dinner with Pete, Jackie and Tony at their mansion. Rose shivered a bit as she walked up the front steps, thinking about their old flat on the Powell Estate.

“Cold?” The Doctor put his arm around her to guard her from even the night air if he could.

“Nah, just thinking,” she mumbled.

He would have inquired further, but they had reached the front door. Jackie threw open the door and welcomed them inside.

Two hours later, they were pushing away their dessert plates and running out of news to catch up on. One difficulty of the family business being Torchwood was that so much of their work was top secret, and not exactly dinner conversation. The Doctor grew impatient as he couldn’t say anything at all. He had continued in his work at home, but without a clear purpose as he knew he wouldn’t risk putting Rose in danger anytime soon. However, he couldn’t reveal to his father-in-law why their plans had changed and he couldn’t reveal yet to his wife what the project was, as he still hoped to surprise her with it someday.

Eventually.

Jackie returned from tucking Tony into bed, so they moved to the living room for their usual after-dinner drinks. Rose knew parents would definitely notice when she didn’t drink her wine… and the Doctor usually didn’t drink so they would know better than to assume she was driving. She and the Doctor stood awkwardly in front of their usual seats as Pete fixed their beverages and Jackie stared at their odd behavior.

Finally, Rose began. “Dad? Mum? There’s something the Doctor and I have to tell you.”

The Doctor instantly perked up. This was it. He and Rose exchanged knowing smiles.

“Well, what is it?” Jackie asked impatiently, not hiding her anticipation. Pete sat down next to his wife.

“Mum,” Rose continued, “you know the other day when we were putting away Tony’s old things and you asked if I wanted you to save some for us?”

Jackie inhaled sharply.

“Turns out we are going to need those baby items,” Rose finished.

Jackie let out a cry of joy. “You’re pregnant?” Rose nodded in confirmation. “I knew it!” she crowed before rushing to her daughter and pulling her up into a hug. “Oh, Rose. I could just tell from the way ya looked that day. Already glowin’”

“Congratulations, son,” Pete grinned and shook hands with the Doctor.

“Oh, you!” Jackie turned to the Doctor and pulled him up into a hug as well. “Have you been takin’ good care of her? You better or — “

“Mum! Of course he has,” Rose defended her husband. “We’re not that far along, anyway.”

“Just two months,” the Doctor found his voice to speak.

“Ooh, there’s nothin’ weird though, is there? You aren’t so alien anymore, so maybe the baby won’t be?” Jackie worried.  
The still significantly part-alien Doctor took a deep breath before responding.

“There’s no way to know, really,” he sighed. “This child would be the first of its kind. I’m certain the biology will be mostly human, but with Time Lord qualities? We can’t know for sure.”

Jackie decided to ignore that “mostly” for now. Her voice softened as she took in his words. “Doctor? Is she going to be safe? My Rose. Will it be…?”

She placed a hand on each of their arms as she looked from one to the other. Just another scared, excited young couple announcing their first child.

“I promise you again, Jackie, as I always will,” the Doctor said seriously, “I will do everything I can to keep her from harm.”

She knew it was the best he could offer. Pete placed an arm around Jackie’s shoulder in support.

Rose teared up as she met her father’s gaze. He cleared his throat and choked back emotion.

“I wasn’t there to be a father for you, Rose, and I will always regret that.” Pete tried to keep his voice steady. “But this baby is going to have one hell of a grandfather.”

They all chuckled at his phrasing, though Rose treasured the sentiment deeply.

++++

The next day at work, however, she found herself meeting with Pete the stubborn boss, instead of Pete the proud grandfather.

“I’m taking you off the field,” he announced without ceremony.

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond. Somehow sitting here in his executive office, in front of his large oak desk, she felt very small.

“I’ve already talked with Martha —” he held up a hand to quiet her protests. “No, I didn’t say why, but she agreed that there is plenty for you to do here around the office.”

“She already knows, Dad. In fact, she was the one who ran the test,” Rose pointed out.

“Ah. That explains why she asked so few questions,” he reflected.

“But Dad, I’m fine. Really! Project Aeon is going well, we just have a few more interviews left and patients to document, but they aren’t here.”

“Martha can handle those,” he said firmly.

His protectiveness irritated her, but he wasn’t ready to give in.

“Just look at you. I can tell you’re already getting tired more easily,” he tried to reason.

“Gee, thanks,” she mumbled.

“The Doctor agrees this is the best option,” he tried to reassure her.

“WHAT!” Rose exploded. “So that’s how it is, huh? You and him just talkin’ about me behind my back? Deciding on what’s best without even askin’ me? Two men deciding on what their women can and can’t do, is it?”

Jackie’s daughter all the way. Pete mused to himself.

Despite how his decision had legitimately hurt her, she recognized that pregnancy hormones were largely driving her fury and clouding her would-be reasonable argument into a flurry of emotion.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I need to go.”

Pete thanked whatever deity was up there that for once he would not be the husband on the receiving end of a Tyler woman’s wrath. And while he was at it, shot up a quick prayer for his unsuspecting son-in-law.

++++++

“Doctor Jonathan Tyler!!!” She used his full legal name. “We need to have a bit of a chat!”

Rose grabbed her husband by the arm and pulled him out of his workshop where she could face him without gizmos whizzing and his work distracting him.

“Hallo, my darling,” the Doctor tried to charm his way out of whatever he had apparently done.

“Oh no, you. Don’t even try,” she cut him off. “Did you or did you not speak with my dad about taking me off the field?”

“Well…” He tugged on his ear and damn him, it was still adorable. “I may have agreed with his suggestion that you have excellent data analysis skills that could be very useful and quite needed in the processing of your current research, that is to say, of course, in the field, you know you’re brilliant…”

She stopped his rambling with a finger to his lips.

“Don’t. You. Ever. go behind my back to my father and make decisions about my work for me again, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the Doctor nodded and stared stupidly for a second. God, she was hot when she was angry.

“However,” she sighed, “and I really, really hate telling you this… but you’re not wrong.”

He held his tongue but his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“I wasn’t going to tell you,” she admitted as a rueful smile turned up her lips, “but I nearly passed out the other day. We’d been out on our feet all day and I was ignoring Martha’s advice to take it slow… She really is a good doctor, you know… and I had to go back to the office early. Not to mention we’ve been leaving for the care centers later because of my morning sickness…” she trailed off.

“Just from what you’ve told me, Rose,” he hesitantly encouraged her, “it seems you’re needed at headquarters anyway. I didn’t think it would take away from your work on the Project at all, honestly. I was just agreeing with Pete’s suggestion, that’s all. We weren’t even supposed to be talking about you or the Project. We didn’t mean to upset you or go behind your back or anything.”

“It’s alright,” she forgave him with a hug, but then stepped back.

“Wait a minute, if he didn’t call you to talk about that, what was it supposed to be about?”

The Doctor realized his mistake. And Rose was far too sharp to overlook it.

“Ah. Yes,” he scuffed his foot on the ground. If he hadn’t been in trouble before, he was about to get it now. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

She didn’t like the sound of that.

“Rose… he wants me for a special mission. They can’t find the source of the nanovirus but he thinks they have found a clue in Costa Rica.”

“And they… are bringing it into the lab next week?” She raised her hopes in vain.

“Alas, it is buried deep in tons of rock. A massive panel of some kind. Perhaps from a crashed spaceship. With writing no one else can translate.”

“So we’ll go together. I’ll help you and it will get done in half the time,” she reasoned.

“You can’t,” he replied, as much as he wished she was right.

“The nanovirus is most contagious at the source. I can take preventative immunizations, but they aren’t safe for the baby. We can’t risk it.”

She nodded in understanding, her conversation with Pete becoming clearer now. He wasn’t being quite as overprotective as she thought. He had talked to Martha to ensure she knew not to give Rose the vaccine.

“When do you leave?”

“The day after tomorrow.”

“How long will you be gone?” Her tone softened as she readied herself for the reply.

“I can’t say for sure.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Possibly a week, maybe two?”

“Two weeks,” she exhaled.

“Or one,” he countered.

She held him close. No more fighting tonight. She would have a more thorough discussion with her father in the morning. For now, she treasured her time with her beloved husband.


	6. A Doctor Comes Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A not-so-quick work trip for Tentoo leaves Rose bored at home until Skype time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a brief reminder that Reggie is Martha's husband in this 'verse. Just in case you haven't read or have forgotten "Valentine's Day Gala." #shamelessplug

For the first few days, Rose enjoyed her alone time as much as she could. She cleaned the house. Tended the garden. Called friends. Visited her parents and Tony. Ran errands. Read a book or two. Tried to avoid peeking in the window of the (sonic-locked) shed.

By night four after she had dropped him off at the airport, she was out of ideas. She would have worked even later than she had been, or at least taken work home with her, but her father and Martha saw to it that she didn’t. (“Enjoy this time before parenthood kicks in! You’ll miss quite evenings!”)

She lived for 7:15 pm, when the Doctor would video call during his lunch break. The time difference was difficult to navigate as they were just far enough apart to make any other time difficult.

They agreed before he left that it would be too late for him to call if he waited until he was done with work for the day, but it turned out that Rose was often awake much later anyway. It was odd: at first going to sleep every night in the same bed had taken some getting used to. Now, they had a hard time falling asleep without the other.

**BOoDooopdodoop** Her computer rang out the anticipated sound.

“Doctor!” She grinned into the webcam.

“Hallo, love!” He smiled widely back. “How’s the homefront?”

“Boring! I miss you.”

“Miss you too. You’d love it here.” He held his tablet up to the window so she could see the view.

“Takin’ plenty of photos? And not just ones Torchwood will confiscate as being confidential as soon as you get home?” The word “confidential” was becoming a running joke between them as regulations grew stricter.

“Of course! Of course.”

“That’s a no then?”

“I will though.” He laughed at her ability to read him like a book. “How’s Baby?”

“Besides making Mummy very tired, everything seems to be alright. No more morning sickness!”

“Isn’t it a little early for that?” The Doctor calculated. She hadn’t quite reached her second trimester yet…

“Martha says everyone’s different. Though at some point, I really do need a proper OB, I suppose.”

“Yep. However, if our baby has any Time Lord traces at all, she’s probably the expert on alien progeny,” he winked at her.

“Don’t you go scaring me now.” Rose gave him a pointed look. “Is there anything on Time Lord pregnancy that I need to know?”

“Can you imagine if the ultrasound showed two hearts in a single body? That poor nurse would probably be frightened to death. And the respiratory bypass…” He shook his head in amusement.

“Doctor…”

“What?”

“You didn’t answer my question.” The kidding dropped out of her voice. “Seriously, just in case, what do I need to know?”

“Nothing,” he replied a little too quickly. “Besides, that’s not going to happen. I have a human body now. Only part Time Lord, mostly just my mind, remember? I could pass for a human patient on nearly any medical test.”

She was reassured, but still curious at his dismissal of her question about Time Lord pregnancy. Of course, what did he know? He thought it wasn’t even possible for them to have children, and here she was. She placed a hand over her still-tiny baby bump. For a while there it seemed like she felt bigger every day, but lately, she felt like it would be forever before she was showing at all.

“Rose?” He broke through her ponderings. “I need to get back. Are you going to be ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine!” She pasted on a cheery smile for him. “Talk again tomorrow?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not sure. We’re going out to a site that’s pretty remote and I don’t know how early we’ll be leaving… It may be a day or two before I’m able to call again. And you know how I said it was only going to be a week total here? It’s looking more like two… We’ve set a goal to finish by the 15th. Factor in travel and that means 10 more days until we’re home.”

Rose tried not to look or sound as disappointed as she felt.

“That’s alright. Hope all goes well! Just call when you can. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

And he was gone. Rose felt the pregnancy hormones taking over and let herself cry for a bit, curled up on the sofa in a ball with a blanket that smelled like him. How was she going to do this for another 10 days? A part of her rallied against such thoughts. “You’re Rose Tyler! Defeater of Daleks! Bad Wolf! The Valiant Child! Get off the sofa and do something useful, Defender of the Earth!” But it was no good. Right now, she was not fighting hostile aliens. She was simply a pregnant young wife missing her husband’s arms around her. And that was ok.

Peace settled over her body. She wiped the tears from her eyes and realized she was covered in mascara. Time to wash away these stains and seek rest if it would be found. She would be stronger in the morning.

++++

Two days earlier than expected, the Doctor quietly turned the key to their home. She wasn’t usually back from the office yet, but just in case, he wanted to surprise her and not scare her to pieces. Who knew what Rose Tyler might do if she thought someone was breaking into her house? He chuckled out loud at the thought. The sound was immediately followed by the rapid clap-clap of flats against the entryway’s tile, a squeal of delight, and a blur of pink and yellow knocking into him at full force. He blinked in shock before he realized he was being kissed and should take the opportunity to reciprocate. He pulled her into a hug that lifted her off the ground. She giggled into his neck and he put her down so he could see her, quite literally, face to face.

“You’re home early,” she beamed.

“Missed my Rose too much. Couldn’t wait any longer.” He kissed her again. “That and we got what we needed for the project.”

“I would ask you about the results, but that’s so not where my head is right now,” she admitted.

He merely shook his head and kept grinning like a mad man as she led him into the living room.

“Thought I would go crazy here without you.”

“I couldn’t sleep well at all,” he admitted.

“Me either.”

“Wait a minute.” He stopped and looked around. “Did you rearrange the furniture? Rose, you really shouldn’t…”

“Dad and Reggie did the actual moving!” She cut him off. “It was time for a change.”

“You really were bored weren’t you?” He observed the categorized bookcases, movies and magazines.

“Martha and Dad wouldn’t let me take work home.”

“So you… caught up on a little applied nuclear physics?” He lifted up a textbook laying on the end table.

“Well, it’s always good to have a refresher. Besides, you never know with Torchwood. Might save the world with it tomorrow.”  
She shrugged.

“Rose Tyler,” he sighed as he fell a little bit more in love. “That reminds me. I have a gift for you.”

“A souvenir?”

“Much better than that.” He produced a poorly wrapped small tube.

She sank down into the sofa and tore it open. She tilted the tube on its side and out fell a thick silver pen. Thicker and with more fancy buttons than any pen she’d seen…

“Is it a…?” Rose’s eyes widened.

“Oh yes!” He delighted in her astonishment. “All yours.”

“But how? When?”

“I had plenty of time on my hands too, you know. At least we couldn’t do much work after dark and it’s a very long flight.”

“So you thought, I’ll build my wife a… a sonic…?”

“Pen. Sonic pen. Actually writes and everything!”

“A sonic pen,” she repeated. “I think I can find a few more uses for it than writing with it.”

“I daresay you can.” 

“Thank you.” Rose fought the emotion that was building in her throat. “I love it.”

“You’re very welcome.”

He sat down next to her with the intention of kissing her again, but she was already on her way up.

“I’m going to cook you your favorite dinner.” She danced to the kitchen. “Or whatever you like. What are you hungry for?”

He shook his head. “I was thinking we could do a Starry Night.”

Starry Night was their name for one of their tried-and-true date nights: their favorite Chinese takeaway, a picnic blanket and an evening in the park watching the stars come out. Casual, but romantic. Cheap, but intimate.

“I’d love that.” She returned from the kitchen, secretly grateful that he had chosen something that didn’t take much prep time or effort. She wanted to just be near him, hold his hand and see his face (not on a screen!) and hear about his trip.


	7. A Tragedy Strikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose has a nightmare. And that's only the beginning of the worst of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. #angstwarning

  
  
The couple settled easily back into their routine: her leaving for the office in the morning, him spending all day in the workshop. Rose was more confused than ever about his surprise. She assumed it was the sonic pen, but that didn’t explain the flash of red telephone booth she had seen and what was still frustrating him. She could see it dividing him. When they talked or spent time with friends and family, he was every bit the hopeful, anxious, devoted father-to-be. But sometimes when they were watching TV or quiet together she would catch a pensive conflicted expression, like his mental calculations wouldn’t add up. She didn’t know what he was calculating, and could only guess at his doubts, but she waited to ask. She wanted him to come to her freely with his struggles, instead of her having to pull them from him like a stubborn mule. It was all about trust. Plus, she didn’t feel right even teasing or hinting to him about those faces. Something about his vulnerability in those moments was far too sacred for poking and prodding him into a confession.  
  
Rose lie awake in bed watching him sleep, his steady breathing and the ticking of the clock the only sounds in the moonlit room. When she finally drifted off, she fell into a nightmare. Instead of sleeping beside her, the Doctor was on a concrete floor unconscious. She trembled as she looked around: she was chained to a cinderblock wall, heavily pregnant. She felt her knees would give out any moment. She wondered how long she had been standing there. How long he had been out. An armed guard and a strangely clothed woman stepped into the prison cell. Or torture chamber. Wherever they were. The woman spoke Gallifreyan to the guard, who cursed the still-unresponsive Doctor and skillfully kicked him back to consciousness as he walked by. The guard took his post next to Rose.  
  
“Ro…?” The Doctor tried to call her as he lifted his head. He grimaced in pain and writhed on the floor.  
  
“Perk up, Doctor. I want you to see this,” the woman sneered with a maniacal glint in her eyes. “This will teach you to mate with…” The woman seemed to have no word low enough to describe Rose. “You may be a sorry excuse for a Time Lord, but we will not stand by and let you destroy the purity of our race. We should have killed you as soon as you came into existence.”  
  
“No!” Rose sobbed as the guard raised his club. The woman turned on her heel and was immediately within inches of Rose’s face. Rose’s stomach turned at the hatred she read. She thought she might be sick right there but knew it might mean her death if she was.   
  
“How dare you.” The woman’s tone was chillingly quiet. “Trash! You will never be worthy of him! Do you even know what he is? What he could be capable of? No. You don’t because your tiny mind can’t comprehend it. You’ve corrupted him. And now you will pay for your crimes.”   
  
Rose screamed helplessly as the guard delivered blow after blow to her swollen middle, crushing the life inside. Rose thrashed, fighting back in futility against her chains. Even after the guard and the woman vanished, the pain rolled through her core over and over.  
  
“Doctor,” she whimpered. “Please. Please make it stop.” She knew it was no good. Though the pain had taken away her vision, the last she had seen, he was still on the floor, unable to move. In all her torture, she became aware of her name. Someone was calling her name with as much desperation as she felt. His voice.   
  
“Wake up, Rose!” He finally got through to her. She blinked to find him wild-eyed and panicked, holding her wrists as she flailed. He relaxed his grip and panted in relief.   
  
“You alright?” he asked as he released her, seeing she was fully awake now.   
  
“Yeah, just… just a bad dream,” Rose assured as she tried to slow her heartbeat. Her entire body felt sore. She must really have been fighting. The dream had felt so real…   
  
“Tell me about it,” he commanded more than asked. It was their ritual. With so many terrifying memories between them, they had agreed to share disturbing or particularly frightening dreams to lessen the burden.   
  
She tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea hit. She groaned. She tried again and pain shot through her abdomen.   
  
“Something’s wrong. With the baby,” she got out.  
  
His face paled and the panic in his expression returned.   
  
“You just stay there,” he instructed. “I’ll call the obstetrician.”  
  
“I don’t have one yet, remember?” Rose tried to relax as the pain faded for the moment. “Just got tested at work and was going to find one this week.”  
  
He fumbled for his phone and hit the speed dial for Martha’s Torchwood mobile. He knew she would answer anytime including… he glanced at the clock… 3:30 am.   
  
“Umm… Doctor?” Rose’s whimper scared him. It was the one that meant she was trying not to fall apart, when something was so bad, she couldn’t…   
  
She lifted the sheet.   
  
Blood. All around her.   
  
Another wave of pain gripped her and she fisted the sheet she was holding.   
  
“Doctor?” Martha’s voice shocked him back into reality. He had forgotten he was even calling her.   
  
“Martha! Something bad is happening. It’s Rose. The baby. Blood. Lots of blood.”   
  
“You at home?”  
  
“Yeah. Hurry!”  
  
“I’m on my way.”  
  
The Doctor nodded in confirmation at Rose’s unspoken question. If there was anyone he trusted with his most precious treasure, it would be Martha.   
  
++++++  
  
The Doctor paced the waiting room of the A&E. He had called Jackie on their way to the hospital, and she was currently staring at him blankly, just watching him go mad with worry. His hand had raked through his hair so many times, it was wilder than ever, making him appear as if he’d recently been electrocuted. His attention shot up from his careful study of the tile floor when the door to the hallway opened. Martha and a nurse appeared.  
  
“She’s alright,” Martha answered immediately. “She wants to see you.”   
  
There was something horrible in Martha’s expression. Something terribly sad breaking her behind a wall of professionalism.   
  
He of all people should know what that looked like.   
  
He dashed down the hall, pulling Martha along and leaving Jackie running to catch up.   
  
He paused in the doorway. There was his Rose, hooked up to machines and tubes, a monitor beeping out the wonderful sound of a steady heartbeat.   
  
One. One heartbeat.   
  
It slowly registered to him that there should be another sound. Another life being monitored in this room.   
  
“She’ll be waking up soon. It’s probably best if you tell her,” Martha gently advised, knowing what must be crossing his brilliant mind.  
  
“Tell her what?” Jackie demanded.   
  
“I’m so sorry.” Martha took Jackie’s hands in her own. With shaking hands, the Doctor picked up Rose’s chart lying open on the table and read the physician’s notes.  
  
“Doctor?” Rose mumbled. She squinted and blinked before opening her eyes all the way.   
  
“I’m right here, darling.” He was at her side in two steps and pulled a chair close. Carefully avoiding her IV, he leaned over her and stroked her hair.   
  
“Is the baby ok?” She intently focused on his face and he knew she was already reading the answer there.   
  
“They couldn’t save her,” the Doctor choked out. “They saved you but they couldn’t save our little girl.”   
  
Rose let the sorrow start slowly with big rolling tears and eventually surrendered to the sobs wracking her sore body.  
  
The Doctor’s tears mingled with her own as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.   
  
She realized she was grasping his hand tightly. It was instinct by now with all they had been through. But instead of memories, it fueled her anger at the injustice of it all. She was supposed to be holding his hand like this many months from now, not here but several floors up in the delivery room. She was supposed to be cursing him and thanking him and relying on him to get her through the pain of bringing their child into the world. Not this. Never squeezing his hand for this.   
  
She was holding it so tightly that she could feel his pulse, synchronized with hers, and was probably hurting him. She tried to loosen her grasp.   
  
“No, don’t let go,” he whispered. “We need this.”   
  
She nodded as more tears spilled down her cheeks. Would they ever stop?   
  
“A girl?” Rose rasped out. “Our baby was a girl?”  
  
He nodded. “We were gonna have a daughter, Rose.”   
  
She drew him closer as the heaviness of loss set in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. If you're wondering, the Mirrors verse was written after this one as a way of making up for this chapter. In fact, they were almost one series but conflicting crucial details prevented that. So go enjoy some of the shameless fluff that makes up the rest of my fics and come back next week for a step closer toward a happy ending. And have some tea and a biscuit.
> 
> 2\. Also, FAQ: yes, the nightmare was just Rose's mind's way of dealing with the physical trauma. As of right now, there are no evil Time Lords in this verse. While I reserve the right to change my mind and write a sequel in which there was a reason for the events of this chapter, the original reason I wrote this was because I know so many people who have experienced this IRL for non-scifi-y reasons and hadn't really seen too many fics addressing it as something normal. So this one goes out to anyone who has ever gone through this. <3


	8. A Darkness Lifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the due-date-that-wasn't, the Doctor helps Rose battle her depression and find hope again.

  
By the due-date-that-wasn’t, Rose still couldn’t shake the emptiness inside. Some irreplaceable part of her died all those months ago, and nothing the Doctor did seemed to heal it. She wasn’t cold or bitter towards him. Quite the opposite, in fact. She would go along patiently with his games, his efforts to get her out of the house and cheer her up, would even put on a smile for a bit, but she always returned to her window seat, staring out at nothing.   
  
She was there today. It had been raining for weeks and didn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon.   
  
The Doctor shrugged off his coat and hung it in the entryway to dry. He didn’t call her as he came in anymore. He knew where she would be.   
  
“Hey.” He leaned against the door frame of their library.  
  
“Hey,” she repeated with a quick glance in his direction.   
  
“How does soup sound for dinner?”   
  
She nodded and wiped at her wet cheeks.  
  
“Rose.” In that moment he could have felt human selfishness and become frustrated at her months of unresponsiveness. He could have felt patronizing pity. He could easily have bounced into “cheer up Rose” mode and told a funny story to defuse the tension. But instead he felt the love of a husband, needing to give her both compassion and strength. For months he had sat by, waiting for her to process her grief, trying to process his own, but he had centuries of experience with deep personal loss. She had needed more time. He had given it to her. Now, she needed him to speak up.   
  
“Rose,” he began again, “you’re scaring me.”  
  
Shocked, she looked straight at him for the first time in months.   
  
“I’ve watched you sit there, breaking, and I can’t take it anymore. Let me help you, somehow. I’ve tried and you’ve gone along with it, but it’s not helping is it?”  
  
She shook her head but didn’t respond. He took this as permission to continue.   
  
“It still hurts for me too, you know. And I don’t think we’ll ever go back to before, but we have to keep moving forward, yeah? I’m scared, Rose. What’s going to happen to you and me, to us, if we don’t?”  
  
“I…” Rose swallowed and tried again. “I don’t know how.”   
  
She finished in a whisper and held her knees in tighter to her chest, like a lost child trembling in a corner.   
  
It was so painful to see her like this that he had to go to her. But instead of pulling her out to dinner or waltzing her around the room to try to make her smile, he simply sat at her feet on the other end of the window seat. They sat in silence together. Him staring down at the floor; her staring out at the steady rainfall.   
  
“What if…” She stopped, the vulnerability too much after months of hiding herself from the world.   
  
“If?” He prodded softly, touching her leg to reassure her of his presence.   
  
“What if this is all there is?”  
  
“Sadness? Forever? You know that isn’t true. I don’t believe that.”  
  
“No, you and me. What if I can never… We can’t…”  
  
“What if our biology is too different?” he finished for her.   
  
She sniffled, trying not to cry again.   
  
“What if I can never give you a child, Doctor?” The love and fear and helplessness in her voice stabbed at his heart. He opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. She continued instead.   
  
“We were so happy… What if that’s all there is gonna be? Getting excited and then losing our baby over and over? I don’t think I can do it. I’m not strong enough. It hurts too much. You said yourself you didn’t think we could ever… What if me being human means I can get pregnant but can’t carry a part Time Lord baby?”   
  
She lost the battle against her emotions once more. He pulled her into an embrace and she laid her head on his shoulder.   
  
“First of all, this is not your fault.” He held her tighter as she shuddered against him. His intuition was right. She was blaming herself for not being as biologically advanced as his race. He cursed all the times he had flaunted the superiority of Time Lords. “Secondly, many first time pregnancies end in miscarriage, even in perfectly normal couples. I’m not saying we aren’t… well… unusual, but it doesn’t mean anything is especially wrong. Just might be a bit more difficult for us. I only thought before that we couldn’t because I didn’t want to get our hopes up, and I didn’t think you would want to, what with Torchwood and all.”  
  
“Did you? Did you… want to? Before I told you, I mean?”  
  
“Yes,” he admitted. “All those jokes about babies in prams and kids at the park and you being a good mum? I meant it. I saw you with Tony and I couldn’t help it.”  
  
“You would have been such a good dad…”  
  
“Hey now, would have?” He pulled away and observed her defeat. “Promise me you won’t give up, Rose. That we can try again someday.”   
  
She opened her mouth but the promise died on her lips.   
  
“Not now, or soon,” he clarified. “But eventually. When we’re both ready. And in return, I promise you, I will figure it out.”  
  
“What?” She furrowed her brow, trying to work out any part she had missed. “Figure what out?”  
  
“Us. More specifically, what caused the miscarriage and if it’s our differences or just… life.”   
  
“Ok. Does that mean a lot of time in the Torchwood infirmary, then?”  
  
“Possibly. But I had a place a little more private in mind.”  
  
She raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Come with me.” He stood and extended his hand. She hesitated, but obeyed, as much out of old habit as her insatiable curiosity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all forgave me for the last chapter and are back for this one, because you don't want to miss an important event soon to come!


	9. A New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Rose react when Tentoo reveals his secret project?

_ “Come with me.” He stood and extended his hand. She hesitated, but obeyed, as much out of old habit as her insatiable curiosity. _

  
  
He made sure to snatch her sonic pen from her desk as they left the room and he led her out back to the shed. His little project wasn’t ready for flight, but its living quarters were coming along quite nicely. He had put extra effort into the infirmary since their long night in the hospital. He thought it might be good to have an alternative to an A&E around just in case.   
  
As they reached the shed, he handed her the pen and gestured to the lock. Her eyes widened and she eagerly popped the door open.   
  
“It’s not finished,” he warned. “And it’s not the same as what we were used to. Kind of the poor man’s version, or at least the Earth-bound man’s version…”   
  
“Is this your surprise from all those months ago?” she asked to be sure. She couldn’t help but get a little excited. He saw her bite her lip in anticipation and couldn't withhold his secret any longer.   
  
“Yep.” He popped the “p” and it earned him a small, but genuine smile from Rose.   
  
He cleared his throat and pulled on a tarp covering a large red box. The glass windows on all sides were painted over and covered in random flyers. A bulletin on the front read “Out of Order.”   
  
“I couldn’t quite get it to take the shape of a police box. But the advertisements on the side change to appear local to the time and place.” He could barely contain his excitement, naturally. Rose watched him bounce around for a bit before stepping up to the box.   
  
“Is it really…?” she asked breathlessly. Her fingers lightly pushed open the door.  
  
It swung wide in greeting.   
  
“Rose Tyler, welcome to our brand new baby TARDIS!”   
  
He blurted it in his enthusiasm, not thinking as he referred to the TARDIS as their “baby.” He realized as soon as the words were out of his mouth, however, and panicked a bit as he turned to see her reaction. _Things had been going so well…_  
  
There were tears in her eyes again, but unlike the tears of the past months, these sparkled and overflowed from joy. She beamed, leaving him breathless. It was as if the sun had broken out from behind a storm cloud to shine its rays upon him after months in the dark. He grabbed her hand and practically danced up the ramp into the control room.   
  
He released her and twirled about, showing her where every switch and lever would sit, what their functions would be, what he had left to do, why it would sound different, but that it was very much the same in all the important ways to the TARDIS they knew and loved.   
  
He stopped mid-babble, realizing she still stood where he left her. Just staring at him as he skipped around. He slowly walked to her and reached out a hand.   
  
With more vulnerability in his voice than he intended, he asked the crucial question.  
  
“Do you like it?”  
  
She didn’t respond at first, just blinking at him. He wished once more that he had kept his telepathic abilities in this body.   
  
“Rose?”  
  
It started with a little tremor of her shoulders. Then she closed her eyes and turned in her lips, but she couldn’t hold it back any longer. She burst out laughing. Once she started, she couldn’t stop. It echoed off the ceiling of the control room. She laughed until it hurt. But oh, it felt so good.   
  
Meanwhile the Doctor grew concerned. Was she laughing at him? What had he said? Was it that ridiculous to assume… but she had said not all that long ago that she wanted this too!   
  
He must have displayed this turmoil outwardly as she immediately reined in the hysterics (except for a few persistent giggles) and took both his hands.   
  
The compassion and sincerity in her eyes cut right into him.   
  
“Thank you,” she said simply. Another giggle escaped at his bewildered expression. “Sorry. It’s just, seeing you like this again, all wild and jumpin’ around, going on about buttons and whatnot…”   
  
She paused and her tone sobered.   
  
“We’re really going to do this, aren’t we? Fly off like before, all of space and time…”  
  
“If you want…” he trailed off, desperately trying to keep a neutral expression.  
  
“Yeah,” she exhaled and grinned again. “More than anything.”  
  
“Rose Tyler and the Doctor in the TARDIS. Just the way it should be.” He quoted his other, fully Time Lord self. “Well, it will be quite a while yet.”  
  
“Can I help? I mean, I don’t know anything about growing a TARDIS, but maybe if we did it together…”  
  
“It will be more like ours,” he finished. “You could bond with her too, Rose. You could pilot her by instinct.”  
  
“Really driving?” She wrinkled her brow. “Would that be alright with you? If you don’t want to share, I understand, you know. It’s ok.”  
  
“She’s both of ours, Rose. Not just mine. Or will be, once we finish all that’s left to do. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though. There’s…” he blew out a breath. “A lot. Really, just two rooms are completely ready.”  
  
“Oh, and what might those be?”  
  
His lips turned up in a mischievous grin now that he knew for sure he had her curiosity.   
  
“Why don’t I show you?”   
  
He took off down the hall towards their new bedroom. The infirmary could wait. If the promise of a working TARDIS was what Rose needed to find her joy again, he would do everything he could to fulfill that promise and take her to the stars once more.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left to go! Thanks to everyone who has left kudos and reviews.


	10. A Trial Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of a new life for the Stuff of Legends.

It was almost too odd now, thinking back to how when he started serious work on the TARDIS he hadn’t known how badly they would need it. He hadn’t even known Rose was pregnant. And now, they had walked through the shadowlands, though they knew their loss would always be with them in some way, and found peace. At least, with the world and with each other.   
  
With Jackie Tyler, however, was another issue. Though the Doctor and Rose had plenty of preparations to make before they flew away, they announced their plans over after-dinner drinks at the mansion one night.  
  
“There is no way that you are taking my daughter on an untested spaceship!" Jackie smacked the Doctor with a pillow to punctuate each word. "Or through time! What if it doesn’t work and you end up trapped on the moon in the 1800s, eh? It wouldn’t be for another century before anyone would find ya there!”  
  
“Mum!”  
  
“Jackie! You know I wouldn’t take Rose unless I thought we really had it right this time.”  
  
It was Rose’s turn to smack the Doctor.  
  
“Mum, I helped build the TARDIS just like the Doctor and I’ve worked on far more dangerous projects for Torchwood a thousand other times. Hell, I used that bloody cannon to shoot myself across dimensions!”  
  
Pete raised his glass to that.  
  
“For a field agent, she’s got a good eye for engineering,” Pete remarked.  
  
“See?” Rose turned back to her mum. “Even my boss is willing to give a recommendation.”  
  
“Your boss is your father,” Jackie pointed out. “He would go to the moon himself if I let him.”  
  
“No one is going to the moon!” The Doctor broke in. “We would choose somewhere far more interesting than that!” At you're-not-helping looks from both Jackie and Rose, he amended his statement. “That is, we would choose somewhere much closer at first. Then, once we’ve mastered hopping around this planet in this time, we would go short distances in time, then work on space flight if all goes well from there.”  
  
\-----  
  
A few weeks later, the TARDIS was ready for her first go. The Doctor triple-checked everything. The important rooms were furnished and fully stocked, complete with lights and running water and temperature regulation. Everything that was supposed to go whirr went whirr and every button and lever went boop and zoop. At least, that’s how he explained the complex inner workings of his time-and-space machine to little Tony. Who, with strict orders from his mother, would not be going for a ride until he was much older.  
  
The Doctor felt his mobile vibrate and saw he had the usual text from Rose that meant she was back at the office in a mountain of tedious paperwork:  


_"Let’s run away. Just you and me. You pick the place. Anywhere.”_  
  
He responded back:  
  
_“Anywhere in time and space? Sure you don’t want to at least give a few options for her maiden voyage?”_  
  
_“What!? Are you serious? She’s ready?”_  
  
_“Yep, ready for our first test run. Were YOU serious? Come home soon?”_  
  
_“Be there in 10.”_  
  
Rose arrived, breathless, exactly 10 minutes later. The TARDIS had long outgrown the shed and was now an oddly placed red phone box in their garden. It was just visible over the back fence. The neighbors had begun to wonder what the Vitex heiress wanted with an old phone box covered in advertisements, but then again, she was an odd one. Weren’t all daughters of rich people, though? And her father was rumored to be the director of that alien research base! Whole family of nutters.  
  
If the prying, stuffy neighbors had peeped on this particular evening, however, they might have noticed said phone box had mysteriously disappeared with no sign of being forcibly removed or carted off to a scrap metal dump, as had been suggested. In fact, it was almost as if the eyesore, and the couple who were so fond of it, had vanished into thin air. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all, folks! Thanks for sticking with me through all the feels. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my new tumblr! Going to try to post updates there as well as here. http://skyler10fic.tumblr.com


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